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Labor Day (2013)
Surreal dullness
In a remote American town, during some hot summer days, we meet Adele, a depressed divorcée and Henry, her teenage son. Adele is so down that she hardly ever leaves the house, apart from when she has to do the shopping. At the shops they bump into Frank, a wierd man on the run. Somehow he convinces them to take him to their house to hide. What was supposed to be just a few hours turns out to be a few days, in which Adele and Frank fall in love, thanks to his hidden kindness and culinary abilities.
They are attracted to each other also because of their traumatic stories: in fact we later find out that he was just a victim of an abusive relationship and had been accused of murdering his wife. We also learn that Adele is so depressed because she suffered many miscarriages and finally had a baby girl born dead. After that her husband left her.
The whole story just seems a bit too much, the relationship between the main characters is weird, the little boy is weird and the events are weird too. Some scenes are dragged on for so long, like at the beginning, when we see a road trip in the middle of the woods, with a creepy sountrack that made it seem like the beginning of a horror film.
I found everything rather cheesy and unbearable, especially at the end when Frank faces his destiny back in prison with his usual good pride. Adele waits for him for years, continuing to be depressed. Finally the little boy was so impressed by Frank's recipes that he decided to become a chef.
What I disliked tho most was this overload of drama, portraying characters as stereotypes: Frank is the good brave victim who will never surrender and who will be good forever. Adele is a weak woman who suffered very much and seems destined to continue suffering. There is a way in pain too...
Radioactive (2019)
An extraordinary life portrayal
19th century France - Maria Sklodowska is a Polish scientist who has lived in Paris for a few years. She is extremely intelligent, ambitious and determined. She starts working with another important scientist, Pierre Curie, and their relationship soon evolves into romance, hence her married name Marie Curie.
The film portrays their achievements, such as the discovery of radium and polonium, and their struggles when the side effects of radium start becoming clear. Marie Curie had to face terrible challenges on her own, as her husband died in an accident.
The best aspect of this film is the acting, Rosamund Pike is magnetic, absolutely flawless in her performance. I also liked the scenes which are structured in a surreal way, making them dream-like.
In some moments some of the consequences of the discoveries made by Marie Curie and her husband are shown, such as the atomic bombs in Japan. Differently from many others I don't think this was out of place, as it is a real creation, made also thanks to what was discovered. This does not mean that Curie is to blame, but rather that the evil use of her discoveries should be held responsible.
Indecent Proposal (1993)
Timeless charming classic
David and Diana are a couple of young passionate lovers, madly in love with each other and free to live their love with simplicity. When they start thinking that they need more money to buy a bigger house and make a better living they try gambling. There is where they meet John, a middle aged millionaire who offers them $1.000.000 in exchange for a night with Diana. They think their love will manage to overcome this, but it is just the beginning of their dreams collapsing to the ground.
There are several things I love about this film: it is beautiful, its glazed colours, its soundtrack, the charm of the places portrayed and the main actors. Diane and David are so beautiful together, a real moving couple, they seem to portray that fascinating concept of two halves meeting. Maybe not everyone has got another half somewhere, maybe not everyone wants one and that's fine, but seeing them just makes me dream.
What I also love is the main message of the film: money cannot buy everything, especially it cannot buy love and love does not need money to sustain itself. It is not a judgemental film, but it opens to interesting considerations.
Certain Women (2016)
Certain women in slow motion
In a cold Montana winter, lulled by the constant wistle of never ending cargo trains, the lives of four women get connected in very peculiar ways.
Laura is an attorney, she looks constantly lonely and depressed with her love life and the frustration of not feeling appreciated by a difficult client.
Gina is married and has a teenage daughter. Her husband is going to build her a wonderful house, but she seems very disappointed with everything.
Beth is a lawyer giving evening classes far away from home and she meets Jamie, a weird loner who manages a ranch and gets obsessed with her.
I suppose the purpose of this film is to explore the difficulties of female life, the frustrations and sadness women have to face throughout their lives, reflected in a harshly cold environment.
To be honest I fell asleep a few times... the stories seem pointless and have no clear connection. Also some characters are just incomprehensible, their actions go beyond human understanding. Everything is dragged in the slowest of ways. Normally I like slow films with beautiful landscapes... this one was too much for me though.
Watch it after a strong coffee!
No Strings Attached (2011)
No much feeling attached after watching it
"No strings attached" is the typical easy romantic comedy in which not much happens throughout the film, not in the plot nor in the emotions given.
So Emma and Adam are two extravagant teenagers that meet at a summer camp, they share a weird conversation and then meet again throughout the years. They like each other, but Emma keeps on running away, as she doesn't want to get involved. Then one night, when Adam finds out that his ex-girlfriend is now dating his dad, he gets drunk and goes to Emma's apartment, gets undressed and passes out. The day after they have sex for the first time, they like it so much (you wouldn't say though) that they decide to be sex friends, thinking that they won't get involved.
I seriously can't find much I liked about this film. First of all the main characters: Emma is cold and detached, she has some clear issues which are never really clarified (apart from her mum saying "sweetie, you don't have to worry about me anymore..."). Adam is attractive and that's it; he seemed to suffer for the situation, especially considering his father going through a "Peter Pan" crisis, but I could not feel for him much.
The plot is supposed to be easy, of course, but the things that happen go beyond, they are just ridiculous. At the end the entire film is a continuous swing from absurd to sappy situations. One watch is more than enough...
American Woman (2018)
A bitter after taste
This drama picture tells the story of a thirty something woman, Deborah, who struggles to make ends meet and lives with her teenage daughter, Bridget, and her baby grandson. Unfortunately one day her daughter goes missing and the film follows Deborah's fight to carry on with her life, looking after her grandson and trying to find out the truth about her daughter' disappearance.
I really loved Sienna Miller in this film: she is magnetic and effervescent but, at the same time, extremely moving in portraying a woman whose pain goes beyond understanding. I enjoyed the family dinamics too, especially between Debra and her sister Katherine and her mum Peggy.
Anyway some parts of the film made me feel bewildered and I thought they were too much, such as what happens with her husband Chris: his betrayal was just unbearable considering everything she had been through. Also her final decision to move and leave everything behind seemed detached to the bond with her family portrayed throughout the film.
Flashdance (1983)
Inebriating charm
This film is an inebriating flow of 80s pop culture, its amazing soundtrack, the way people looked and dressed, the dancing styles, its overwhelming sensuality. It is a dive into those years in which everything seemed lighter and surely looked more colourful and appealing.
The story is pretty straightforward: Alex, the protagonist, is a beautiful young woman who loves dancing and who works as a welder to make a living. She is too afraid to follow her dreams until she starts dating Nick, her handsome rich boss. It is a simple romantic comedy. Anyway the appeal given by this movie cannot be found in its plot, but rather in its surroundings, the music, the dances, the hypnotic looks and wonderful Jennifer Beals in one of her best performances.
C'è ancora domani (2023)
Great performance, forced storyline
I will start by saying that I really love Paola Cortellesi, she is one of the finest Italian actresses of these times, capable of offering the greatest laughs and the most bitter tears, thanks to her versatile acting skills.
This happens throughout this film too. She is Delia, a middle-aged woman who lives with her husband, three children and her nasty father-in-law in terribly harsh conditions. She struggles to make ends meet and to sustain her family, while suffering domestic abuse and dreaming of a past love. When her daughter gets engaged to the son of the local café owner, she senses that her she risks embarking in a life of strain and violence, just like hers.
I loved the performances in this film: Paola Cortellesi, Vittorio Mastandrea (one of my favourite actors), Giorgio Colangeli and Emanuela Fanelli. The use of black and white was clever, as it gives the film a poetic look. I also appreciated the bittersweet scenes: tragedy mixed with comedy.
Nevertheless I wouldn't call this a masterpiece as I thought the storyline was a bit forced, especially with the final surprising end, which seems a bit too detached from the rest of the film...
I, Tonya (2017)
Sublime performances
"I, Tonya" narrates the life events of Tonya Harding, an American ice-skater who achieved stardom and success through years of pain and then suffered a terrible downfall, when she was accused of taking part in the aggression against her sport rival.
The story is extremely moving, terribly painful, especially considering it is a true story and the violence suffered by the protagonist really happened. I really liked Margot Robbie, her performance is simply wonderful and it highlights her chamaleontic ability to transform into anything. My absolute favourite is Allison Jenney, her performance, her voice, her movements, her charisma, she is beyond. It is a must watch!
Morning Glory (2010)
The greatest combination of sappy and funny
The risks of watching this type of comedies is to incur in a series of banal situations, cliches and a great deal of mushy scenes. I cannot say that it never happens in this film, because it does, especially towards the end, when the protagonist achieves her glorious happy ending. What makes a difference though is the fact that some bits of the film are really funny. I found that the scenes with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton were the best, they were absolutely hilarious!
Even if I like Rachel McAdams very much I thought that her character was rather annoying, her drive to succeed, as a sort of incarnation of the American dream. Her fling with Wilson was non impressive too, it felt tasteless.
Overall I'd say that Morning Glory is not that glorious, but it does provide a few laughs, and that is enough on some days!
Because I Said So (2007)
When comedy becomes annoying
Fair enough, I knew this film was going to be something easy and not particularly deep. Nevertheless I think there should be a mid way between an easy comedy and a pathetic nonsense.
The story revolves around Daphne, a strong single mother who is about to turn 60 and who is obsessed with her 3 daughters, especially the youngest one, Millie, as she is struggling to find her better half. So she decides to put up an advert to find her the right partner, leading to a series of misunderstandings.
I really disliked Daphne: she is manipulative, self-centred and her ego is as big as the solar system. At one point she finds love herself and she goes from a life of dry abstinence to an intense sexual life... ridiculous!
I didn't like Millie either, she is weak and submissive. What is worst is that she actually blamed her mother for having two relationships at the same time... ridiculous too!
If you don't want to feel really annoyed, just don't watch it!
Little Fish (2005)
A glazed depiction of resurrection
This 2005 Australian art film tells the story of a former heroin addicted woman's search for resurrection.
Tracy Heart has survived the turmoil of drug addiction and she is trying to start from scratch, becoming the owner of a video store. When her ex boyfriend Jonny turns up again after years, she has to fight fiercely to save herself, her brother and her lover from the danger of drugs.
I enjoyed the glazed colours of the film, as if everything was the manifestation of dreams. Most of all I loved Cate Blanchett, a chamaleontic goddess capable of deep transformations.
The rest of the film left me with a sense of perplexity... it might have been the characters or the slow actions or the lack of strong emotions I felt. Not clear, but something did not click properly.
Young Adult (2011)
It could have been much better...
Mavis Gary is a 37 year old woman who works as a ghostwriter. She was once really popular at school, in her hometown called Mercury. Nevertheless her life is not as successful and rewarding as a lot of people would think, as she suffers from severe depression and drinks too much. When she finds out that her ex-boyfriend has had a baby, she decides to go back to her hometown to win him back. What she gets is having to face her real problems and trying to start all over again.
Even though I liked Charlize Theron very much (as usual), the character she portrays is rather nasty and does not go through much change. On top of that the whole story is disappointing and not really interesting. During the film I kept on waiting for something to happen, but there wasn't much action nor cathartic moment.
I feel that this film could have been much more, but it wasn't.
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Insipidly colourful
Joanna and Walter are going through a crisis, their lives are completely soaked by their tv show careers and Joanna's craze for success. When she gets fired for the way she handled her last reality show, she falls into a severe depression and her husband decides to move to Stepford, a little town in Connecticut. This is where they are faced with the strangest people and behaviours: everything is really 50s style, perfect houses, wives and social events. Joanna cannot fit in and this leads her to want to find out what sort of strange dimension that is.
This is definetely an easy film, a soapy comedy which provides just a few laughs. I did not enjoy it much, it left me with nothing and I did not particularly appreciate any of the characters. Nevertheless Glenn Close's great performance deserves to be mentioned: her character is the prototype of obsession, she wants beauty and perfection no matter what and she ends up being utterly creepy.
The film deals with an extremely important topic, it is a pity it wasn't deepened in a different way...
Perfetta illusione (2022)
The two faces of beauty
Toni and Paola are a happily married couple, or so it seems at the beginning. Their main aim is to improve their financial situation, as Paola wants to open an elegant boutique in the city. This starts creating a great sense of frustration in Tony, who has given up his real passion, painting. When he meets Chiara, a rich art expert who admires his work, Tony cannot deal with his private life and his passion anymore, and everything starts falling apart.
Perfetta Illusione shows us various dichotomies: Milan as the capital of fashion, art and luxury, but also a city that hides grim outskirts. The dichotomy of art, which is supposed to be a means of communication, but is often used as a mere means of production. Love takes double forms too, as a form of expression and repression.
I enjoyed the main message of the film, which is the fact that we are often misled by our desires to succeed. The protagonist is disappointing as a person, but he's also the real and only hero, true to what really makes sense to him: art. The other characters show us how mediocre and despicable greed is.
One Life (2023)
Utterly moving
This is the real story of Nicholas Winton, a reserved upper class British man who saved hundreds of Jewish children during WWII.
The film begins at the end of the 1980s when Winton, now an elder man, is still struggling to overcome the atrocities he had to witness. Through a series of flashbacks we learn his amazing story and the admirable courage he had.
As the majority of films portraying the horrors of the Shoah, it is utterly moving and painful. Nevertheless the fact that it focuses on the destiny of hundreds of children makes it even more striking. My experience with this particular story was extremely strong, leaving me with a sense of anguish and hope at once. One Life shows us the two aspects of humanity, the dangers of evil and the awareness that good still exists and must prevail.
I loved the entire cast, but Anthony Hopkins' performance is simply outstanding.
L'ordine del tempo (2023)
I thought it could be... but it wasn't
The story follows a sort of theatrical structure: the setting is the same throughout the whole film, apart from a couple of scenes which took place in a nearby location. There isn't much action and everything happens during one single day: a group of old friends meet up at the beautiful sea house of a couple of them and they get lost in their existential conversations, doomed by a comet which is about to hit the planet. The characters seem on stage, wandering about and getting lost in their deeply melancholic conversations.
I expected much more from this film, considering some of the names starring (for instance Alessandro Gassman, Edoardo Leo, Valentina Cervi...) and the great director, Liliana Cavani. What I enjoyed was simply the beauty of the landscape, a few funny lines and the special effects when the comet approached.
The rest of it was disappointing, most of the protagonists were disappointing and their human relationships were the most disappointing aspect of all.
Maggie's Plan (2015)
A soft touch of naivety
Maggie's plan is the story of a young woman, who's gone through dark times in her life and has matured into a non conventional soul, desperately seeking for love. She decides to have a baby on her own, but at the same time falls in love with an intellectual who is going through a marriage crisis. A series of strange events and decisions unfold after that.
There is no realism in this story, rather it is a sort of fictional tale told in different chapters. It is set in stunning New York, mostly during winter times and everything takes part in the creation of a dream like atmosphere: the locations, the costumes, the complicated relationship, yet so sweet at once. The cast is great: Ethan Hawke is charming and philosophical, his character really seems inspired to his real self. Julianne Moore is gorgeous and plays her role sensationally, even creating an unbelievable Swedish accent. I really loved Greta Gerwig too, her character was bizarre, akward and attractive at the same time.
In spite of the simple plot and the simple outcome of the events, I enjoyed this film a lot, it made me feel good, in a sort of dreamy state.
Siccità (2022)
The drought within
Siccità is a dystopic choral film narrating life in the Italian capital city, plagued by years of drought. Directed by Paolo Virzì it stars important names in the Italian cinematic industry such as Valerio Mastandrea, Claudia Pandolfi, Silvio Orlando and Tommaso Ragno.
The beauty of this film lies in the fact that in spite of its catastrophic events, Rome keeps its charm, which is transformed into a sort of dry gothic allure. The colours are particularly vivid and intense, in the same way as the various pictures portrayed and the special effects.
A multitude of characters flow through the various scenes, apparently strangers but all interconnected. Each one of them has to face the devastation surrounding them, but also the devastation within, in a long search for their lost souls. I especially loved Claudia Pandolfi and Valerio Mastandrea, a chameleon capable of transforming himself into any character in such an intense way.
Even though I enjoyed this film very much I found some flaws: Monica Bellucci is just a fascinating statue, a sort of goddess of fertility, but as soon as she starts talking her lack of acting skills are unveiled. Her performance really clashed in this story. Then I felt really skeptical about this environmental crisis hitting just Rome and not the rest of the country, it does not make much sense...
Apart from this I highly suggest it!
Mia (2023)
Devastating and heartbreaking
A few days have gone since I watched this great film, and my heart is still aching. This is exactly the power it has on specators, as it lingers on for days and days, thanks to the powerful combination of its simplicity and the fierce emotions it communicates.
"Mia" is the story of a young teenager and her parents, experiencing the natural changes and readjustments that come with being 15 and being a 15 year old parents.
Nevertheless, these changes are taken to an extreme when Mia meets Matteo, an obsessive and possessive boy who starts brainwashing her and isolating her from the rest of the world. Her attempt to leave him and put herself back on track is sadly the beginning of a terrible ordeal.
The theme this film deals with is extremely strong, as we happen to hear similar devastating stories on the news every day. In my opinion, what makes this film particularly special is the emphasis on the emotions and the pain caused on the whole family, as the consequences of what happens are just too painful to bear.
The scenes in which Mia is seen as a little girl recorded by her parents are seriously overwhelming, especially if you think about what they all have to go through later on in life.
A highlight to Edoardo Leo, who plays Mia's father: his performance is outstanding. Greta Gasbarri (Mia) plays her first lead role and is very good too.
I highly recommend this film, as it deals with such important issues we should be aware of. My only advice is to watch it when you know you can take it!
The Age of Adaline (2015)
I was expecting a fairytale, but I found a melodrama
When I started watching this bizarre film I was intrigued by the sort of fairytale feeling surrounding it, the narrating voice commenting on the events, as if they were pages taken from a story for children... unfortunately this feel-good beginning faded when the story started to unfold.
Adaline (Blake Lively) is a beautiful woman, whose life begins at the beginning of the 20th century. Then one day her life changes completely, when she has an accident and, by a strange combination of events, her body stops aging. As years go by and Adaline always looks the same, she comes up with a great solution: escaping and changing identity every so many years... At one point her daughter (Ellen Burstyn) looks like Adaline's grandmother and is given advice on her diet because of her high cholesterol levels... I found it rather ridiculous.
Then at a party evergreen Adaline meets handsome Ellis (Michiel Huisman) and falls in love with him, only to find out that he is one her past lovers' son (Harrison Ford). The film finishes with another miracle, another accident with a strange combination of events and finally Adaline's body starts aging again: she finds a white hair and is relieved! What woman wouldn't feel relieved seeing signs of age on her body?!?!
I found the whole thing ridiculous and boring: Blake Lively is just a beautiful presence, but lacks in communicating emotions, so much so that I couldn't perceive any. Her love story seems taken from a soap opera and the final revelation part (when she says to her boyfriend: I have escaped because there can't be a future together, I'm 100 years old!) is omitted. The whole film was a long nonsensical sequence of boring events. It didn't give me much.
Third Person (2013)
A long wait
Michael is a writer going through a dull phase in his career and a painful breakup with his wife. His main source of life is his affair with Anna, an extremely nasty and pretentious woman, who wants to be a writer too.
Sean lives alone in Italy, where he can't communicate with anybody as he can't speak the language. He meets a beautiful woman, Monica, in a bar. He is bewitched by her sensuality and decides to "help" her get her daughter back, going through the harshest means.
Rick and Julia are separated and fighting for the custody of their son. Their love has transformed into bitter hatred.
These stories seem unrelated, but they are all interconnected in their psychological exploration.
I didn't like the film, each story was too much: too much pain, too much drama, too much absurdity. Moreover each character behaved in such a childish manner, highlighting their faults.
The only feeling I got was a profound sense of annoyance!
Home Again (2017)
Insipid
This film was utterly disappointing, I found no sense in it, no direction and I didn't empathize with any of the characters. It just left me nothing.
The story is centred on the adventures/misadventures of Alice, a 40 year old woman who has just separated and is creating a new life for herself and her two daughters. During an evening out to celebrate her birthday with her friends she meets three young men, who are trying to get into the harsh Hollywood movie system. She starts a fling with one of them and puts them up in her lavish mansion.
After a while her ex, Austen, finds out about Alice's passage of age, understands how much he's lost and tries to get back with her.
The plot is banal, the relationships between the different characters are banal, the dialogues are ridiculously banal. The ending does not make sense. What I found the most annoying is that Alice is supposed to be this struggling single mum, recreating her life from scratch, but she's actually a millionaire living in a beautifully luxurious house inheritated by her father, who was a film director.
Reese Witherspoon is the advocate for portraying women, their feelings, their opinions, their struggles. I didn't see any of that here: just some people pretending to having a hard time, but having it all already.
Also: is Alice supposed to be a different woman at the end of the movie? A stronger one? To me she was just the same.
A romcom should give us either eyes in the shape of a heart, or make us laugh. It did not happen for me with this one.
If you can, watch something else!
The Dressmaker (2015)
Fascinating and beautiful
When Tillie, an elegant and extravagant dressmaker, goes back to her remote hometown to take care of her sick mother, she goes through an ordeal to take her much diserved revenge against a town of close-minded people. Nonetheless hers is not just revenge, she has to explore the darkest aspects of her own history in order to come back to life again.
Kate Winslet is superb, as always. Her ability to transform herself into so many diverse beings is just exceptional. Tillie is beautiful and her beauty is not just physical, but it comes from the pain she had to go through. She is provokative and fragile, sublimely bittersweet.
Judy Davis deserves to be mentioned too: she plays Molly, Tillie's mother, an old lady pained by a life of physical and psychological strain, but who is still full of positive energy and a great sense of humour.
What strikes the most about this film is its breathtaking photography, the gorgeous dresses capable of transforming anyone in a better version of themselves and the many symbols it shows: the town is bare and dry in the same way as its inhabitants. Beauty and colours are brought by Tillie, who strikes as the outsider, the rejected.
The whole picture is a dark fairytale, sarcastic and painful at once. A definite must watch!
The Fabelmans (2022)
Beautiful and moving
This beautiful film narrates the story of Steven Spielberg's youth and, more specifically, how his passion for cinema blossomed and became a profession.
In the same way as in anybody's life, Spielberg's (in the film Sam) passions and life chouces are deeply linked to his upbringing and to his relationship with his parents.
He was born and raised in a family of well educated Jewish immigrants, his father was an engineer, whereas his mother was a musician, a stunning artistic figure, torn by her drive to follow her own passions. Sam's mother is played stunning Michelle Williams, who plays a character lost in time, divided by reason and desires, and ultimately following the latter. There is something mystique and mysterious about her, every movement she makes is a piece of art...
The photography and soundrack are really good and help make this film a must - watch!